Post by : Meena Ariff

A Delhi-bound IndiGo flight narrowly avoided entering Iranian airspace just before Tehran abruptly closed its skies amid growing unrest in the country. The sudden shutdown caused widespread disruption to international flight operations, forcing airlines to reroute or cancel several flights.

Flight-tracking data showed IndiGo flight 6E1808, which departed from Tbilisi, Georgia, passed over Iran around 2:35 am on Thursday, minutes before the airspace closure at 3 am. This aircraft is believed to have been the last non-Iranian passenger flight in Iranian airspace before authorities issued a Notice to Airmen (NOTAM), halting the movement of most flights. A limited number of approved international flights were allowed to operate.

The closure lasted over four hours, according to Iran’s aviation guidance. Iran is a key east-west corridor for airlines, so the shutdown immediately affected global aviation. Many international flights were rerouted north or south to avoid Iranian skies. By 7 am, the airspace appeared to reopen, allowing some domestic flights to resume.

Iran has previously restricted its airspace during conflicts, including a 12-day war with Israel in June and exchanges of fire during the Israel-Hamas conflict. While no current military hostilities were reported, the closure raised concerns about security risks, missile launches, and the possibility of misidentifying civilian flights.

Indian airlines were significantly impacted. Air India canceled early morning flights such as Delhi-New York JFK, Delhi-Newark, and Mumbai-JFK, including their return journeys. IndiGo’s Baku-Delhi flight had to turn back within an hour as its route passed over Iran. SpiceJet also confirmed rerouting some flights to ensure passenger safety.

Air India stated that rerouting was in place wherever possible, but flights without safe alternatives were canceled. IndiGo and SpiceJet emphasized that passenger and crew safety remained their top priority and urged travelers to check their flight status online.

Other international carriers, including Lufthansa, also adjusted operations, avoiding Iranian and Iraqi airspace until further notice and temporarily altering flights to Tel Aviv and Amman. The disruption underscores the strategic importance of Iran’s airspace and its potential to affect global aviation during crises.

#Asia News